Good News: Less Carbon from Electricity Generation…Bad News: Planes, Cars, and trucks are Emitting More

Carbon dioxide (CO2) pollutes the air we all breathe, and carbon is a byproduct of electricity generated from coal and natural gas. There was some cautious cheering when a recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed power plants have now fallen behind transportation as a cause of carbon pollution in this country. (http://tinyurl.com/cdjlyky) The reduction in carbon is largely due to power producers using more natural gas, which creates much less carbon than burning coal.

Of course, we can’t resist pointing out the electricity we sell you is nearly 100% carbon-free, due to hydropower, nuclear generation, and wind power!

How to cut down on the amount of carbon pollution from transportation? The answers are being debated across the country, but all-electric cars and other all-electric vehicles are getting a lot of attention. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, in Oregon, each gas-powered vehicle creates about 12,000 pounds of CO2 every year, while all-electric vehicles account for about 2,000 pounds-equivalent. (http://tinyurl.com/m2ww3ub)